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Apologies for the late arrival of this now annual piece, but I've been busier than normal for this time of year, which limited how much I could fit into this write-up. With the NFL Draft less two days away and the last pro days finally complete, it's time for yet another installment of my Modified Explosiveness Index (MEI) rankings for the latest crop of potential pro pass rushers. For those familiar with the rankings, you know the drill by now; I've crunched the workout numbers on every prospect I could find data for to try and determine who has the raw athleticism, burst and suddenness to threaten the edge (or shoot a gap inside) at the NFL level. As always, there are some unexpected results, which may not mesh with the conventional wisdom that has assigned the prospects a preconceived label. My data collecting effort was surprisingly robust, with nearly every major prospect posting verifiable workout results, though as always, some players don't perform certain drills at the combine or their pro days, due to injury or reluctance, and therefore offer too little data to analyze. The scale for the MEI rankings is the same as last year, and is as follows: Below 60 is poor, 60-64 is average, 65-69 is solid, 70-74 is very good, 75-79 is excellent, and 80+ is elite. Note that the list will only include defensive ends (including 5-technique ends) and rush linebackers; interesting prospects at other positions will be noted, but the scale tends to break down outside of certain weight restrictions (below 240 pounds, above 300 pounds). For those not familiar with this exercise, let me answer a few common questions in advance: No, I won't release the formula I use; if you don't see a prospect listed ask, but chances are I don't have complete data on him; and while I do compile and maintain data going back as far as 1998, I don't have a complete record of every player in the last 20 years, so I may not be able to compare your favorite prospect to a current or former NFL player using this metric.

Now, without further ado, the elite prospects:

1. Jamie Collins, DE/OLB, MEI 89.05  The freak, end of story. 41.5 inch vertical, 11 foot, 7 inch broad jump, along with elite short shuttle and 10 yard split times, all at 250 pounds, with a long, high cut frame. Since the advent of the rankings, he outpaces every prospect I've seen, including the most elite prospects (the all-time top five of J.J. Watt, DeMarcus Ware, Cameron Wake, Julius Peppers and Mario Williams, two of which are no longer in that top five), posting incredible leaping numbers for a prospect with his size. Thankfully, unlike some recent high scorers from small schools, he actually has the production to match his prodigious test results, including 21 career sacks and 44 tackles-for-loss, most of which came standing up as a linebacker. His role shifted towards that of a hybrid end/linebacker for his senior season, which should help him translate to the NFL as an edge rusher, likely for a 3-4 defense. The biggest knocks against him are inconsistency, both in terms of effort and strength at the point of attack, the level of competition coming out of Conference USA, and a lack of experience playing with his hand on the ground (though he did do some of that at Southern Miss). But unless his functional strength becomes a major issue at the pro level, or some team stupidly tries to play him as an end from day one, it's hard to see how he'll fail as a pass rusher. Annual double digit sacks should be a reality for him, even if he never develops into anything but a rush specialist at the next level.

2. Lawrence Okoye, ?, MEI 88.81  The freak, part two. Or the enigma, if you prefer. There's not much to say about Okoye, since he's not a football player, he's a track athlete that wants to play football. He just happens to be 6-foot-6, 303 pounds, and leaps, runs and cuts like an athlete that weighs 60 pounds less. His 35 inch vertical is easily the best result for a 300-plus pound athlete I have on record. Same for his 10 foot, 5 inch broad jump. And he runs in the 4.7s, for good measure. Physically, he's basically a slightly larger J.J. Watt, only he has the same amount of organized football experience Watt had when he was five years old. I'm listing him here because he's been talking about playing defensive end or tackle, but I'd be intrigued to see what he'd do as an offensive tackle, as well. His build is terrifying, quite frankly; long arms, tree trunk legs and hands big enough to palm a beach ball, and just about all of his 300 pounds is muscle. This is the kind of prospect 7th round picks were made for, as far as I'm concerned. Swing for the fences, and hope you connect.

3. Glenn Foster, DT, MEI 86.73  The underachiever. Foster played next to Akeem Spence, but while the average college football fan might know Spence, it's doubtful too many people are aware of Foster's existence. For a player with his measurables (including a ridiculous 39.5 inch vertical), you'd like to see Foster compile more than 4 sacks and 11 tackles-for-loss in his college career. Admittedly, he seems like something of a late bloomer, earning more playing time after seeing next to none early on in his college career, but playing next to an early round pick like Spence, it's hard to fathom why Foster couldn't produce more. He's undersized as a tackle at 280 pounds, which makes you wonder why he didn't play more end at Illinois, where his athleticism might have been better utilized. But watching him, it's clear to see he has no bend to his game at all, and isn't real comfortable using his hands either, which would make it hard for him to produce playing on the edge. He's built like a defensive tackle, despite his height and lack of girth, and he moves like one too; he demonstrates tremendous power at times, but seems to struggle disengaging with blockers, often content to wrestle while the play goes by him. He's blissfully unaware of the ball unless it's directly in his line of sight in some instances. When the quarterback is taking a deep drop and Foster has time to loop around on a stunt and explode, he flies by blockers; the fact that this scenario is unlikely to occur more than a handful of times during an NFL season, with the current emphasis on three and five step drops and quick passes, makes me think his pro career might go much the same way his college one did.

4. Devin Taylor, DE/OLB, MEI 82.02  The underachiever, part two. For as few number the ranks of those familiar with Foster, are as many who are aware of Taylor. Jadeveon Clowney's elder line-mate turned sidekick, Taylor seemed to fall off the map somewhat following the emergence Clowney and last year's 18th overall pick, Melvin Ingram. Taylor's primary assets are his size and explosiveness, yet it's those two traits that have prevented him from reaching his potential. Taylor has extremely long limbs, standing 6-foot-7 with 36 inch arms, which hamper his ability to change directions quickly. Taylor lacks the fluidity common to elite edge rushers, and often loses the leverage battle due to his height and long legs. That's not to say he plays upright  his pad level is surprisingly good for a prospect of his dimensions. He simply lacks the strength to overcome his natural leverage disadvantages. All that said, Taylor did produce at the college level, with 18.5 sacks, and he did start 45 games at South Carolina. The problem for the team that drafts him is deciding where he fits; is he a strong-side end, a 5-technique in waiting, or a hybrid player that stands up at times? The answer is probably none of the above, unless he goes to a team that's willing to bring him along slowly and allow him to fill out his frame until he can approximate the dimensions of one of his most common comparisons, Calais Campbell. Ultimately, though, it's hard to see him replicating Campbell's strength and powerful base, likely limiting him to a situational role at best.

Just short of elite:

5. Ezekiel Ansah, DE/OLB, MEI 78.08  The enigma, part two? Ansah is certainly raw, though not nearly so much as Okoye. His college production certainly doesn't jump off the page, either. Like Jason Pierre-Paul and Chandler Jones (by far the most common comparisons I've seen for Ansah), he'll really be evaluated on potential and one offseason of major exposure. Fortunately for Ansah, he is the polar opposite of the previous prospect, Devin Taylor, in terms of movement skills and athleticism. Despite his height and length, Ansah moves like a smaller player, with the ability to bend and change direction with linebacker-like ease. He's demonstrated the ability to play on his feet at the college level, often looking comfortable exploding off the snap and driving back blockers in short order. His initial burst and explosion off the snap is enough to rock even large tackles back, yet that seldom was enough to allow Ansah to finish the play. That may most likely be explained by his utter lack of developed pass rush moves and total ignorance of hand usage. Ansah, quite simply, doesn't really know what he's doing out on the field all the time. He's stated himself that he learned most of the rules of football from playing Madden, which probably isn't the best tutor on the intricacies of line play. Luckily for him, he'll receive the dedication and coaching he'll require to realize his potential, strictly on the basis of his likely draft position. He has a weird sort of proto-spin move he tries to use from time to time, but it doesn't seem like a conscious decision, rather an impulse to disengage and run around the blocker. That may be the most telling aspect of Ansah's game right now: he's far more comfortable working a step off the line in a two point stance, where he can both diagnose the play from further back, and have extra room while attempting to dictate the terms of his engagement with a blocker. When he sees the play, he's quick to break down and move in for the tackle, and if a coach can get him to start using his hands and be comfortable with engaging quickly, Ansah could be a terror, given his natural length, strength and burst. Nothing resembling a polished prospect, but by recent standards, definitely an elite one.

(Sio Moore, OLB, MEI 77.89  Not really an edge rushing prospect, Moore is likely to work as a 4-3 OLB in the pros, but an interesting guy nonetheless. He did average 7 sacks a season the past two years, and is an instinctive, disciplined player. His coverage skills will allow him to be a three down player at the NFL level, as well. Likely to be a steal in this draft, but for the purposes of this exercise, not worthy of much discussion.)

6. Mike Catapano, DE/OLB, MEI 77.78  The sleeper. Catapano is a soon to be Princeton(!) graduate, that happens to weigh 270 pounds and have a 37 inch vertical leap. Catapano is probably the ultimate level of competition conundrum: talented and productive, but against guys that are more likely to be hedge fund managers in a year than NFL blockers. Catapano isn't the smooth athlete that some of the more accomplished players on this list are, but he has a jarring suddenness to his game, and the ability to deliver a blow with his hands and wrapping up. He's comfortable working to the tackle's inside shoulder as well as running the horn, and can really crash down inside hard to disrupt a play. If he can demonstrate the kind of movement skills necessary to succeed at the next level, he could be a major late-round or undrafted free agent steal for a team willing to develop him.

Last edited by Richter on Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:18 am; edited 1 time in total

7. Barkevious Mingo, OLB, MEI 74.24  The name, maybe of all time. One of the more hyped prospects in the draft, Mingo barely qualified for the list, coming in just above the 240 pound weight limit. That's ultimately what limits his score, as his leaping and timing numbers range from excellent to elite. He's definitely a twitchy, explosive player (unlike fellow LSU prospect Sam Montgomery), but his lack of bulk probably limits him to playing as a linebacker at the next level. I honestly don't have as much to say about Mingo as I thought I would; in the words of Dennis Green, he is who I thought he was. A relatively one-dimensional pass rusher, that will probably need some time to acclimate to the pro game and develop his technique, once he realizes he can't just run around NFL level tackles. His repertoire of pass rush moves and hand usage didn't really improve at LSU between his sophomore and junior seasons, but he did surprise in one area, being less deficient in terms of strength than I expected. He can actually set the edge and help turn running plays back inside, and perhaps be more than a liability in that area going forward. For a player of his reputation, however, his overall production was somewhat lacking, and I wonder what will happen if he ends up in a less than ideal situation. For most defensive schemes, I wouldn't draft him until the mid rounds.

8. Margus Hunt, DE/DT, MEI 74.02  The love-him-or-hate-him prospect of this draft. He's either too tall and too raw, or an athletic freak that breaks the mold. I'm somewhat torn on his prospects, because like many of the other players in this draft, he needs to land in the right situation to become a productive player. Hunt is yet another player with minimal experience, which makes projecting him to the NFL that much harder. He's an accomplished track athlete, and the light seems to have gone on for him somewhat in his final season at SMU. Hunt, much like Ansah, isn't always sure of what he's doing on the field, but he's improved greatly in the short time he's been playing, and is beginning to overcome many of the flaws that plague unseasoned linemen. His pad level improved tremendously during the course of his career, and he proved he could overcome his 6 foot, 8 inch height and win the leverage battle as a pass rusher late in the season. His bowl game performance to close out the year was dominating, single-handedly destroying the Fresno State offense for long stretches and capturing the attention of scouts and GMs, both real and armchair, though not as much as his combine performance did. Hunt moves very well for such a tall, lanky player, and carries his weight well. Given his length and emerging hand technique, his best bet may be to add a little weight and work as a 5-technique. Hunt possesses the raw power and length needed to control blockers at the point of attack, and his wingspan should allow him to knock down passes at a rapid rate. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention his prowess as a kick blocker as well; in addition to his physical tools, Hunt has an almost preternatural ability to time his leap and meet the ball before it can clear his reach. An intriguing prospect that I'd consider drafting in the second round if I was looking for a strong-side end or an athlete to plug into a 30 front.

9. Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, MEI 73.54  The stock killer. Moore is a prospect that's hard to figure in a lot of ways: he was productive in a tough conference, but can't seem to handle himself off the field. He's got a great motor, but it doesn't seem to run in the weight room. Rumors of drugs and legal issues have hounded Moore, as well as a meaningless yet surprisingly poor performance in the bench press. I'm in no way a fan of recording 225 pound repetitions as a measure of strength or explosiveness, though I'll grant they're likely an at least partially accurate indicator of work ethic and muscle endurance. As for that number impacting Moore's career prospects beyond his draft stock? I'd say the likelihood is negligible. Moore has all the makings of a productive player at the NFL level if he can keep his head screwed on right and put the work in that's required. He's long, rangy, with solid change of direction skills and the kind of first step that lets you win against professional blockers, even if he lacks the raw explosiveness that some of the other elite prospects possess. Like many college pass rushers, his hand usage and knowledge of leverage could stand to improve, but he's not nearly as far away as some of the other players on this list. With Moore, you're getting a football player, of that there is little doubt. The question is whether you're also getting all the baggage that comes with him.

10. Datone Jones, DE/DT, MEI 73.51  The workman. Jones is solid but unspectacular. Regarded by his peers and coaches as a football junkie, Jones has the look of a 10 year NFL lineman that makes a couple Pro Bowls as an alternate. He lacks a defined position at the next level  not big enough to consistently play as a 5-technique or under tackle, not quite athletic enough to dominate as an end in a 40 front, his best fit will probably come as a left end that can kick inside from time to time. He has a low floor on account of his relentless work ethic and experience, but his ceiling seems similarly low. He doesn't stand out athletically in any category, posting solid numbers all-around for a 280 pound man. As a late first or early second round pick, you could probably do worse, but I'd be underwhelmed if I was hoping for a sexier prospect.

11 Cornelius Washington, DE/OLB, MEI 71.75  The outlier. Washington is a player I didn't scout extensively, on account of his high-profile teammate Jarvis Jones commanding most of the attention. Washington is an interesting player in his own right, though. Tall, extremely long and possessed of a solid build, Washington put up a tremendous vertical at 39 inches. He also posted a pathetic 4.74 in the short shuttle, a time usually in the range of the average defensive tackle. I hate evaluating prospects like this, because a particularly poor or unusually accomplished number that doesn't mesh with the remaining results is usually not predictive in any way. So, which result is the real indicator of Washington's athletic prowess? It's hard to say, in light of his total body of work. His broad jump and 10 yard split were similarly excellent (10-foot-8, 1.6 seconds), but his college production was underwhelming. He mustered only a half a sack in his senior season, despite being used as a rush specialist for a highly talented defense. And his inability to secure a larger role is disconcerting as well. A player I'd stay far away from, but I'd also not be surprised if he emerged as a major value in the middle to late rounds.

12. Malliciah Goodman, DE, MEI 70.78  The first guy off the bus. Goodman looks like a football player; it's a shame he doesn't always play like one. His size jumps out immediately, with nearly 37 inch arms providing him a massive reach advantage against opposing blockers. He lacks the raw burst and change of direction ability to win strictly as an edge rusher, however, and his prodigious size likely points to a future as a 5-technique end. An intriguing mid-round prospect.

The rest:

Dion Jordan, OLB, MEI 70.23  The reach. Jordan isn't a bad player, he just shouldn't be in consideration for a top five pick. He's tall but skinny, athletic but inert. His mediocre vertical of 32.5 inches likely portends a critical lack of explosiveness that will limit him as an edge rusher, given his wiry frame. Some guys can get away with less burst to their game by using length, power and leverage, but Jordan only possesses one of those traits. He'll probably have to stand up and work as a linebacker exclusively, as it's hard to see him enduring the wear and tear of working as a down lineman in the trenches regularly. He is still relatively young and has only played on the defensive side of the ball for three seasons, so there's a chance he grows into his body and puts it all together. But given his lack of production and rapid ascent in draft circles, I wouldn't want to be the one to take that chance with a premium pick.

Corey Lemonier, DE/OLB, MEI 70.02  The maybe. Lemonier is a fairly middle-of-the-road prospect, with a solid college pedigree and production, but no real standout traits. Average size for an end, average athleticism and change of direction skills for a rush linebacker, and just enough explosiveness to rank above the purely pedestrian players. I liked watching him at Auburn, he and Dee Ford always seemed to be getting after it, but to mixed results. Lemonier is fairly polished in terms of technique, and is a solid defender against the ground game when his motor is running hot, but he'll overpursue quite a bit, and can get creamed occasionally at the point of attack when run at directly. He could stand to get stronger through his base to help deal with the rigors of an NFL season. Probably a decent reserve player when all is said and done.

The underwhelming:

Alex Okafor, DE, MEI 67.78  The big program starter whose skills don't translate. Okafor looks like any number of big-bodied, Big-12 defensive ends that have come out in recent years, and he does nothing to excite me. More of a power player than a speed rusher, he lacks the burst or athleticism to run the horn and play in space. Likely to be limited to playing left end in a 4-3, where he can stop the run and occasionally get to the passer. His first step is decent, but he's not going to beat NFL blockers on the strength of it alone. He'll need to use his length and hands to win battles in the trenches. A fourth or fifth round prospect to me, that will go in the second.

Chase Thomas, DE/OLB, MEI 67.49  The clone. Thomas looks a lot like some other edge rushers to come out of Stanford in recent years. Solid size for a linebacker, decent athlete, some production, not much more to get excited about. He has a few more pass rush moves than the average prospect, but lacks the burst and mobility to take advantage of them. A solid pair of hands and good functional strength for his size means he can probably play on the strong-side some. A late round flier, at best.

Sam Montgomery, DE/OLB, MEI 65.78  The other guy. Between the two LSU prospects, Mingo is the one you want. In addition to the tales about gambling, taking plays off and not having much passion for the game, Montgomery lacks high-end athleticism and explosiveness. He strikes me as one of those other guys at LSU, the ones that play next to the real talent the school produces, and end up looking much better than they are as a consequence. Decent length and size, but tight and lacking movement skills in space. Solid power in the run game, though, I noticed him take on larger tackles and set the edge effectively more than once. Despite his program pedigree and solid production, he's not a draftable prospect in my opinion, due in part to his character issues, but he has enough talent that he should stick for a while, as a depth player at the very least.

Bjoern Werner, DE, MEI 65.27  The defended. All I've seen and read about Werner is how great his motor is, and how he deserves to go much higher than projected in this draft. To that, I say, bollocks. His motor is nothing special. I watched him give up on plays on numerous occasions when the ball carrier got past him. I also saw many of his sacks come from combined pressure by the line, or from having the passer driven into him by a rush from the other side. And given his lack of elite burst, I definitely don't believe he deserves to go high in the first round. Now, that being said, Werner is definitely a natural pass rusher, with good hand usage and timing, and he has more bend and better movement skills than you'd expect for a player with his build. He appears very top heavy, with a thin lower half that could cause problems when anchoring in the run game. His length is nothing special, but he's solid at getting his hands on the tackle and either bulling them back or shedding to make a tackle. He knows what he's doing out there, appearing far more polished than many other prospects in this draft. He's likely to be limited to working at the left end position on a four man line, but as a power player that understands leverage, he could have a productive career in that role. I'd love him as a third round pick, but not as a first.

Booby prizes:

William Gholston, DE, MEI 60.71- The guy carrying the baggage. As if the name isn't enough to deal with, Gholston has to contend with being a player without a real position and lacking elite athleticism. Aside from measuring in at 280 pounds, he doesn't have much else going for him athletically. He's a poor leaper, and his times in movement drills leave something to be desired as well. Probably strictly a 5-technique in the NFL, if he manages to stick. Not draftable.

Sharrif Floyd and Sylvester Williams, DTs, MEI 59.38 and 56.85, respectively  The dead weight. I try to stay away from tackles in these rankings, because explosive power is less important to them than raw strength, quick feet and balance. Both of these guys struck me as underwhelming compared to Star Lotulelei and Sheldon Richardson, the other consensus first round tackles, who both scored north of 65. Williams in particular is a guy that scares me, given his alma mater and one-dimensional game as an interior penetrator.

Jarvis Jones, OLB, MEI 49.89  The regret? Hoo boy, this is a tough one. Jones' issues with spinal stenosis are scary enough, but when he can't out-leap a 350 pound defensive tackle at his own pro day, the red flags spring up. For a 240 pound man who is expected to compete at the highest level of football to only manage a 30.5 inch vertical, a 9 foot, 3 inch broad jump and a 4.71 short shuttle time is pretty much unprecedented. I've never had a non-defensive tackle score this poorly. He's far and away the worst scorer in this year's class, by a wide margin. At the same time, he was fabulously productive in college, and has a bevy of records and awards in his name. Much like another poor scorer (who ultimately excelled on NFL fields last year) in Vontaze Burfict, Jones could be a victim of his own rumored poor work ethic. Burfict clearly didn't take the combine seriously last year, bypassing workouts and preparation and failing to impress as a result, yet when the time came to suit up, he produced. It seems that same situation could unfold again with Jones, yet unlike Burfict, he has a glaring hole in his game in the form of run defense. Jones was targeted on more than one occasion by opposing offenses in the ground game, as his slight frame and lack of length made him an easy target for blockers to overwhelm. He simply lacks functional strength at the point of attack, preferring to run around linemen rather than engage them. Add that to his seeming lack of explosive ability and top end speed, and you're not left with much to go on. And unlike Burfict, Jones won't be available as an undrafted free agent; instead, he'll command a first round price, in all likelihood. I won't be totally shocked if he gets into an NFL program, puts in enough work to unlock his potential and produces at the NFL level, but there's no way I'd risk a premium pick on the possibility.

The Unknown:

Tank Carradine, DE/OLB, MEI Unknown - I wanted to add Carradine to the list, but his workout didn't include three of the four measurements I need, so I had to leave him off. That said, I believe, based on tape evaluation, physical build and statistical production, that he is one of, if not the best, pass rushing prospect in this draft. Carradine displays a natural burst that is lacking in most of the prospects I discussed above. His movement skills and ability to bend are elite for a player of his size, and his length is an added bonus. I suspect he would score very well in this system if he was fully healthy. I consider him a first round prospect if his knee checks out.

Last edited by Richter on Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:09 pm; edited 1 time in total

Glad we get to see the results with enough time to sieve through them. Some very, very interesting numbers. Particularly Dion Jordan and Shariff Floyd. Amazed that they scored so poorly and are likely Top 10 picks.

I wonder if NFL teams actually use a formula of sorts to look at prospects?

Glad to see Lawrence Okoye score so highly. Hoping the Pats take him with a 7th and stash him on the PS for the next 2 or 3 years. Those measurables are just scary, and of course, he's English._________________Adopt-a-Patriot '14: Danny Amendola Status: Allegedly Deflating Balls On The Sideline

I only maybe see Margus Hunt, Datone Jones, Damontre Moore and Corey Lemonier translating from this list. Ziggy Ansah, Barkevious Mingo, Jamie Collins and Devin Taylor have some of the highest ceilings in this draft scientifically but I don't see any of them having long, impact careers.

The only draft pick I'm totally in love with is Okoye in the 7th. Partly because he's English and partly because its just an awesome story. It fits nicely too...BB is no stranger to late round flyers on good athletes.

As you say he might even translate will into an O-line prospect - and if he can then Dante could make something special out of him.

This year seems to have a lot of guys who look good in shorts but play slower in pads. Devin Taylor is an awesome athlete, but it does NOT translate on the field at all. Maybe that changes though.

And, being an Ivy person, I've actually watched a decent amount of Catapano, and I wasn't really that impressed :?.

This is the year of the inexperienced end with with great measurables and questionable results, seemingly. A ton of guys that are flawed in notable ways, too. Taylor is the only very experienced player to make the list, and I'm just not very high on his prospects. Catapano I like though as a 7th rounder - nice blend of athleticism and suddenness from what I saw of him, and with some NFL coaching, he could be a nice rotational player that blossoms into a starter down the line.

This year seems to have a lot of guys who look good in shorts but play slower in pads. Devin Taylor is an awesome athlete, but it does NOT translate on the field at all. Maybe that changes though.

And, being an Ivy person, I've actually watched a decent amount of Catapano, and I wasn't really that impressed .

This is the year of the inexperienced end with with great measurables and questionable results, seemingly. A ton of guys that are flawed in notable ways, too. Taylor is the only very experienced player to make the list, and I'm just not very high on his prospects. Catapano I like though as a 7th rounder - nice blend of athleticism and suddenness from what I saw of him, and with some NFL coaching, he could be a nice rotational player that blossoms into a starter down the line.

I love Taylor's measurables and his frame definitely says he can add a lot more bulk but I would like to see how much muscle he has added since his freshman year. I would still be willing to take him in the middle of the draft simply because I have seen a lot of players bulk up once they get into the nfl. Even on the Patriots we have seen Cunningham and Markell carter put on at least 20 pounds of muscle which I think paired with improved hand fighting and use of leverage could make Taylor a beast.

Great stuff as usual, Richter. Collins has definitely been the guy that has stood out on tape for me, so I'm not surprised he's at the top of your list (and at the top of any list in recent years apparently). I think he's got the potential to be a guy that can consistently set the edge, but it might take a year or two. Not the quickest off the line, has a tendency to get swallowed up, but I love his potential and he could be a great counterpart across from Chandler Jones for years to come if we snag him._________________